Tonight’s match against Udinese will be Massimiliano Allegri’s 300th game in charge of Juventus, but how well has his return gone so far?
The 54-year-old Italian coach returned to the club at the end of May 2021, a little over two years after he left the job. His first spell saw him guide Juventus to five Scudetti, four Coppa Italia, two Supercoppa Italiana and two Champions League finals, so the Bianconeri were happy to see him walk back through the doors again in Turin last year.
It was a tough first half of the season for Juventus and Allegri; the team sit 5th in the Serie A table, 11 points behind league leaders Inter and three points behind 4th place Atalanta, who have a game in hand. Defeats to Hellas Verona, Sassuolo and Empoli embarrassed the Turin side, leaving many infuriated in the Piedmont capital.
It has not all been negative for Allegri, however. Juventus finished top of their Champions League group, two points ahead of reigning European champions Chelsea, and the team’s form has improved in recent weeks, with their last loss coming to Atalanta back in November. They also look more stable than they did under Allegri’s predecessor Andrea Pirlo, although considering the gulf of experience between the pair, this isn’t too surprising.
The Supercoppa Italiana loss to Inter is a bitter pill to swallow, sure, but things are slowly looking up again under Allegri, even if they seem set to lose Paulo Dybala at the end of the season.